Red Sox patient on Stephen Drew, even with need at SS

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- General manager Ben Cherington remained coy when asked about the chances of Stephen Drew returning to Boston next season.

By Tim Britton

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- General manager Ben Cherington remained coy when asked about the chances of Stephen Drew returning to Boston next season.

"Can't handicap it," he said Monday, the first official day of baseball's winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Red Sox have made it clear that they maintain some level of interest in Drew. The team needs to add a shortstop to its roster, be it a starter like Drew or just someone to back up Xander Bogaerts.

Whether Boston pursues Drew will depend on how the market shapes up for the shortstop. The Cardinals and Yankees, considered to be two of his more aggressive suitors entering the winter, are pretty much off the board. St. Louis signed Jhonny Peralta, and New York has Brendan Ryan as insurance behind Derek Jeter.

Thus, if a market never quite develops for Drew, the Red Sox could jump back in later in the offseason to sign him at a good value -- much like they did a year ago.

The complicating factor is Boston's proximity to the luxury-tax threshold of $189 million. The Red Sox are probably within $10 million of the threshold, so signing Drew -- even on a relatively inexpensive deal -- without making a compensatory move is likely to push them over the top.

Boston prefers to stay under the luxury-tax threshold, but going over isn't verboten. Cherington explained it this way.

"We're looking at any acquisition and the cost of that acquisition -- whether it's a free agent or a trade -- as an investment and what are we getting back. There's always a price that makes sense for anyone," Cherington said. "If there's a really compelling reason to do something and we can demonstrate that, no matter what the cost, then there's usually an open ear for that type of thing. But it's our job to make sure it's compelling and make sure what we're investing in makes sense and that we're not doing stuff just to do it.

"Obviously there's a point at which you start paying tax on every dollar you spend, so it's harder to make that a good investment. It's not impossible but it's harder. It just goes into the equation of whether we can present a compelling case. There's never been a hard line. It's just really more about...what makes sense from an investment standpoint and how do we get the most talent on the team for a price that makes sense."

Cherington said the Red Sox have had conversations about bringing back Providence College alum John McDonald in a utility role.

"John is obviously at a point in his career where there are certain things that make sense for him and certain things that don't," Cherington said. "We need to be able to give him more information before he makes any decisions."